With the ladies’s faculty hoops season lower than per week away, it’s time for a fast refresher on the perfect expertise who will dominate the primary stage this season.
Yesterday we counted down from spots 20 to 11, and at present, we reveal the highest 10, with a No. 1 spot that’s certain to immediate arguments and debate all season. Presenting The Athletic’s prime 10 gamers for the 2024-25 season, together with a scout from a coach who confronted every participant final season.
Kansas State, 6-6 fifth-year senior heart
Key stats: 19.7 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 2.8 BPG, 62% FG
Along with her top and size, Lee, who holds the NCAA Division I single-game scoring report (61 factors), is dominant within the paint even with out the ball in her palms. She performs her sport inside three ft of the basket and given how environment friendly and imposing she is on offense and protection, there’s no cause for her to department out too far. Final season, Lee shot 62 p.c from the ground and 73 p.c on putbacks, however what makes her distinctive (particularly as a 6-foot-6 large) is that she doesn’t make expensive errors. In 2023-24, with a 31 p.c utilization price, Lee ranked among the many prime 1 p.c of gamers in turnover proportion.
🏀 @AP All-American Honorable Point out 🏀@Yokie50 pic.twitter.com/j5VPeFWxeH
— Ok-State Ladies’s Basketball (@KStateWBB) October 26, 2024
Coach’s scout: “Ayoka is powerful. You can’t transfer her. And it’s not simply that. She is so environment friendly in her motion that she instructions a lot consideration. Should you haven’t performed her earlier than, you underestimate her. Not solely does she have good footwork, however she will maintain her floor. You’ll not transfer her. The opposite factor is that the remainder of the gamers are lengthy, too. Kansas State’s perimeter gamers are lengthy. Should you’re a small guard, you may’t stress the cross sufficient. That offers her more room nearly as a result of they’ve such lengthy passers.”
South Carolina, 5-9 fifth-year senior guard
Key stats: 11.0 PPG, 3.7 APG, 47% 3pt FG
Probably the greatest 3-point shooters within the nation final season, Paopao is again for her COVID-19 bonus 12 months in Columbia and able to lead South Carolina. The Gamecocks’ paint presence will look quite a bit completely different with out Kamilla Cardoso, however assuming that simply places extra stress on Paopao, South Carolina ought to really feel assured. Pretty much as good of an offensive risk and defensive stalwart as she was a season in the past, maybe her highest quality is available in how few self-inflicted wounds she causes. Paopao distributes with out turning over the ball, organizes the Gamecocks protection, and final season, directed a gaggle that coach Daybreak Staley known as a “daycare” right into a streamlined undefeated nationwide champ.
Coach’s scout: “On that workforce of all these terrific gamers, you will get lulled into pondering that she’s simply there to knock down a pair 3s, however she’s a whole basketball participant. She is aware of methods to play. She finds the gamers she is meant to search out. She knocks down large pictures when she has to. She runs the workforce when she has to. She’s only a full basketball participant who’s the sort of participant who makes championship groups, championship groups. With out her, you’d be lacking a giant piece.”
LSU, 5-10 junior wing
Key stats: 14.5 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 2.1 SPG
Johnson might want to grow to be a high-volume scorer with out Angel Reese. (Andy Lyons / Getty Photos)
Flau’jae Johnson has proven a little bit little bit of all the pieces in her first two seasons — the dynamism in transition, level of assault protection and a gentle (if rare) 3-point jumper. Most significantly, she has a knack for being precisely what the Tigers want. As a junior, she’ll have to put all of that collectively. Now not is Angel Reese round to singlehandedly win possessions for LSU. Johnson must be an environment friendly and high-volume scorer who can be their greatest perimeter defender. There’s no cause to consider she will’t. She has the pace, the elevation and the IQ to learn the ground and decide her spots. She additionally has the star energy to consider that she will assert herself extra typically.
Coach’s scout: “She’s clean. She’s sensible. And it could actually kill you. Particularly when she had Reese round her. She had quite a bit round her and I’m certain Kim (Mulkey) has quite a bit round her once more. However she makes it appear like all the pieces is simple for her. It appears easy. And also you watch her on movie, and it’s like, ‘However how did you do this?’”
UCLA, 6-7 junior heart
Key stats: 14.9 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 2.0 BPG, 64% FG
Fifteen factors, 9 rebounds and a couple of blocks a sport is a powerful stat line for any participant. Now think about that Betts performed simply round 25 minutes a sport final season. With one other 12 months in UCLA’s system beneath her belt, count on her to claim herself much more and in longer spurts. The addition of Oregon State switch Timea Gardiner will make Betts much more harmful. Gardiner, a 6-3 junior, is gifted sufficient to attract some consideration away from Betts, placing her in single protection extra typically, which ought to assist her exploit these mismatches even higher than final season.
Coach’s scout: “She’s a novel expertise, and he or she’s one of the crucial expert bigs within the nation. You simply can’t train 6-7. She alters the trajectory of the sport along with her presence. She scores with both hand, and so you may’t not account for her at any time. UCLA largely will go as she goes — her foul hassle, her well being, her all the pieces. They’re a special workforce with out her. There are some issues: How effectively will she deal with double groups, tempo and physicality? However for me, her presence places UCLA at an echelon that I don’t know in the event that they’d be at in the event that they didn’t have her.”
LSU, 6-1 senior guard
Key stats: 16.4 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 2.5 SPG, 1.1 BPG
Morrow has top-of-the-line midrange video games in girls’s faculty hoops and he or she’s glorious with defensive positioning and execution. Despite the fact that she’s solely 6-1, she will out-rebound nearly anybody within the SEC. As a freshman at DePaul, she was the nation’s main rebounder. With Reese gone to the WNBA, she has a possibility to be an excellent bigger presence on the ground, and it’s honest to count on Morrow to fortunately take up that house, given the scoring function she assumed earlier than transferring.
Coach’s scout: “She’s unorthodox — is explosive, can drive on you, rebound like loopy, only a nightmare matchup. She’s not going to hit you from the three, but when she touches the ball, it’s going to be a bucket or one thing constructive for his or her workforce. And he or she has this may behind her play. There are loads of gamers that depend on their pure presents, however she has this may to drag her workforce. It’s these intangibles that you would be able to’t sport plan towards.”
5. Maddie Booker
Texas, 6-1 sophomore wing
Key stats: 16.5 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 5.0 APG, 1.5 SPG
Booker had a baptism by hearth as a freshman as she was thrown into the purpose guard place for Texas after Rori Harmon’s ACL harm 12 video games into final season. Regardless of by no means taking part in the place earlier than, Booker thrived (and so did the Longhorns). Now, again in her pure place as a wing/large guard, Booker could have a possibility to create her shot — one of many smoothest in faculty hoops — whereas additionally having top-of-the-line level guards within the nation create for her. Offensively, her midrange sport has all the time thrived, and with an offseason beneath her belt (learn: one other full 12 months in Texas’ power and conditioning program), her relentless motor ought to be that rather more unstoppable this season.
Coach’s scout: “Her pull-up jumper is untouchable. And that’s powerful. You see the photographs and movies of her from SEC media day this season, and her physique appears even higher. I believe this 12 months, there received’t be as a lot on her, and with that, she’ll flourish much more. From a defensive standpoint, it helps her that Rori is again, too, as a result of I believe final 12 months individuals sort of went at her as a defender. They’ve an important workforce protection, however they didn’t have a Rori.”
Notre Dame, 5-6 sophomore guard
Key stats: 22.6 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 5.5 APG, 4.6 SPG
Within the absence of level guard Olivia Miles final season, Hannah Hidalgo stepped into the fold as a freshman and have become one of the crucial feared backcourt gamers in America. Regardless of giving up three to 4 inches to her defenders (and six-plus inches to anybody within the paint), Hidalgo nonetheless managed to shoot 65 p.c on the rim final season as she sliced and diced defenses along with her pace and alter of route. That very same means made her the perfect pocket-picker within the sport, main the nation in steals final season. The largest query mark in South Bend this season is what would possibly make Hidalgo much more harmful: the return of Miles. With these two anchoring the Irish backcourt, and Hidalgo not needing to do as a lot on each ends with a more healthy and extra gifted workforce round her, she would possibly simply have a better influence on the sport.
Coach’s scout: “She impacts the sport in each methods – her quickness and pace and tenaciousness. I’ll have an interest to see if that’s nonetheless as on show with Olivia Miles again. The truth that she’s smaller — it has no influence in any way. It’s most likely a bonus for her. She performs so onerous. She’s so sensible and he or she places herself on the market. She hunts down the steals. A variety of children, they’re content material to run again on protection and play protection as a result of the coach instructed them to. She performs protection like she loves it.”
GO DEEPER
Ladies’s faculty basketball preseason All-Individuals: Paige Bueckers, JuJu Watkins, Hannah Hidalgo
3. Kiki Iriafen
USC, 6-3 graduate switch ahead
Key stats (Stanford): 19.4 PPG, 11.0 RPG, 2.3 APG
Final season, Iriafen labored in tandem with Cameron Brink at Stanford to create a two-headed monster that opponents couldn’t fairly determine. It’s fairly onerous to improve from taking part in with the No. 2 decide within the WNBA Draft, however Iriafen in some way managed to do it. Now, at USC, she will get to play off Watkins, Talia von Oelhoffen and Rayah Marshall. She’ll be the perfect rebounder in faculty hoops this season, discovering further possessions for herself and her teammates on the offensive glass and asserting herself with second-chance factors. With defenders being compelled to choose their poison with this USC beginning 5, Iriafen might discover herself with extra spacing and alternative than final season.
Coach’s scout: “She all the time is aware of methods to get the ball and the place to get the ball. She’s athletic, and I really like her demeanor. She’s not going to be the Participant of the 12 months, but when USC makes the Last 4, USC will thank God she is there. She’s loopy athletic, expert, nice palms. She’s amazingly good when she takes a step off the block. That sounds foolish, however when she posts and will get off the block to provide herself some house and distance, she makes the shot or creates fouls. She was additionally 10 occasions higher stay than on tape. That’s uncommon. The final time that occurred for me was Maya Moore. She was actually good on video. However throughout the sport, I used to be like, ‘Oh my God,’ she was even higher.”
USC, 6-2 sophomore wing
Key stats: 27.1 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 3.3 APG, 2.3 SPG, 1.6 BPG
Regardless of the highlight-reel performs she made final season, maybe probably the most veteran-like facet of Watkins’ sport was her cool demeanor. She by no means appeared to get overwhelmed or fazed. Whether or not her shot was getting in, whether or not she was drawing fouls or getting hacked with out calls, whether or not the Trojans have been main — Watkins was calm and picked up. Now, simply think about what she’ll do with an additional 12 months of expertise, particularly as she’s now surrounded with extra beginning expertise. The important thing to unlocking USC’s potential and Watkins’ upside may very well be von Oelhoffen from Oregon State taking some ballhandling stress off Watkins and permitting her to function extra freely in house. Von Oelhoffen and Iriafen will enhance the Trojans’ defensive stress, permitting Watkins to get out in transition, which was arguably the perfect a part of her sport.
Coach’s scout: “She has measurement and athletic means and might rating in loads of alternative ways, completely different locations. I don’t know if there’s one other participant in faculty like her at that measurement that does these issues. There are different good gamers, however none like her. She simply finds a solution to get the ball within the basket.”
UConn, 6-0 fifth-year senior guard
Key stats: 22.2 PPG, 59% FG, 42% 3pt FG, 5.2 RPG, 3.8 APG, 2.2 SPG, 1.4 BPG
The talk over the nation’s prime participant will probably be argued all season: Is it Paige or JuJu? Legitimate arguments will be made on both aspect, and in the end, the actual winner is everybody who will get to take pleasure in their play and the controversy.
Finally, this is the reason the scales tilted ever so barely to Bueckers: She confirmed an nearly unreal sense of urgency final season when she carried the Huskies to the Last 4. Watkins’ doubtless freshman-to-sophomore bump will probably be important, however don’t underestimate how Bueckers, who mentioned this will probably be her ultimate season of school hoops, will increase her sport as soon as once more. Bueckers, who bulked up within the offseason, advantages mightily from the prospect to return to the perimeter after a season spent taking part in the 4 (on account of UConn’s well being and numbers points). That ought to open up her sport much more. Gone are Nika Mühl and Aaliyah Edwards, however Bueckers could have loads of stable scoring choices round her, which might assist get her assists return to her freshman season numbers (5.8 per sport).
Coach’s scout: “Paige is de facto onerous to arrange for. She’s so full. It’s onerous to do a scouting report. She strikes effectively off the ball. She is a hazard with the ball in her palms. She will go get the bucket or she will create. I do know there’s discuss that she must be extra aggressive, she must shoot extra. I believe what makes her actually harmful although is this concept that it makes it onerous to do a sport plan on UConn as a result of it’s like, take away this, even when it’s onerous, and we are able to win. As a result of she is so dynamic. Her protection improved a lot final 12 months. There’s simply not loads of holes there.”
(Prime photographs of Paige Bueckers and JuJu Watkins: Joe Buglewicz / Getty Photos, Jayne Kamin-Oncea / Getty Photos))
